Australia-Droughtmaster Cattle stock sale.
AUSTRALIA-DROUGHTMASER STUD STOCK SALE.
More than 100 spectators attended the 18th Highlands Droughtmaster Bull Sale at Clermont last Friday, with 69 of them registering to participate.
However it was a buyers market that saw 31 of the 88 bulls on offer not receiving a bid, a clearance of 65 per cent.
There were 11 studs offering bulls which topped at $11,000 and averaged $4087.
On the other hand there was a total clearance of the 14 heifers, which topped at $3500 to average $1821.
The top priced bull was from Strathfield, one of the breeds Foundation Studs. Strathfield XXXX Gold (P) was by Redwing El Toto (P) from Strathfield Ruby 47 (P), with Garthowen and Wingfield in her ancestry. He was purchased by Colleen Smith, who with her husband David operate the Vale View Droughtmaster Stud at Vale View, Goomeri, where they run 150 registered breeders in four single sire herds. Gold was a 29 months-of-age two tooth, weighed770kg, had a P8 fat depth of 12mm, rib fat depth of 8mm, an eye muscle area of 120sq/cm, a 43cm scrotal circumference and 75pc semen count.
With the stock came a soundness guarantee and performance information, however it was hard to find any trend in buying as some of the bulls that failed to receive a bid had large eye muscle areas, good weight for age and high semen counts.
They ranged from 22 to 34 month-of-age and weighed from 700kg to 920kg, with two Strathfield bulls, each 30 months-old, making the top weight and bringing $4000 and $3500.
The stud with the highest aggregate was Steve Farmer’s Comanche, which sold 10 of the 11 bulls it offered, topping at $7500 for an average of $5250. Ken McKenzie, Yaralla, Blackwater (left), paying the top price for Comanche Ashley (P), he runs a Droughtmaster breeder herd and sells the offspring as stores, which make 400kg by 18-20 months-of-age. Ashley was one of the few bulls in the catalogue to have Interim Droughtmaster Breedplan EBVs, weighing 820kg at 29 months, he had an EMA of 122sq/cm and a 600 day EBV of -7.
Five vendors offered 14 heifers that ranged in age from 14-20 months and sold from $1000-$3500.
